-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Deep South will be plunged into a deep freeze again this week , this time with ice and snow expected to fall all the way to the Gulf of Mexico .

Forecasters issued a winter storm warning for New Orleans and its suburbs Monday afternoon , warning that the city could see half an inch of snow and ice by Tuesday evening . Parishes further north could see three inches , with temperatures plunging into the single digits on Wednesday , the National Weather Service reported .

A wave of arctic air that settled over the Midwest and the Plains is expected to spread into the Southeast late Monday , bringing a chance of snow to several major Southern cities by Tuesday . In New Orleans , where measurable snow has fallen only 17 times in records that date back to the 1880s , French Quarter restaurants made plans to shut down and tourists worried about being stranded at the city 's airport .

`` This town is shutting down tomorrow , '' cab driver August Delaney told CNN . `` Some bridges are going to shut down . Schools are closed . We are not going to put our kids on school buses . ''

Mayor Mitch Landrieu declared a state of emergency and warned residents to remember what happened when temperatures dipped toward the freezing mark less than a week ago .

`` We had bridges that were frozen over , as you might remember , '' Landrieu said . `` We had accidents on those bridges , a fairly large pile-up on the Green Bridge . Sometime not long ago , when they had a similar event , there were a thousand crashes , and there were fatalities -- and we want to make sure that we avoid all of that . ''

While the Big Easy prepared for the Big Icy , authorities in neighboring Mississippi warned that the entire state would see temperatures below freezing between Tuesday morning and around lunchtime Thursday . State officials told reporters that up to four inches of snow could fall in the south-central part of the state , and the Gulf Coast could see three-quarters of an inch .

Robert Latham , the state 's emergency management director , warned residents to expect power outages as well .

`` We 're looking at a part of the state that has a large number of pine trees , '' Latham said . `` I can tell you that as ice accumulates on pine trees , limbs will break . Trees will fall . Power will be out . ''

The chill will be a marked contrast to the warm temperatures that prevailed across the region on Monday , when temperatures were largely in the 50s and 60s . In Wilmington , North Carolina , on the Atlantic coast , people were still dining outdoors on Monday night even as public schools announced closures on Tuesday and Wednesday .

Atlanta will see the mercury drop into the low 20s overnight , with a 30 to 40 % chance of snow Tuesday . In Montgomery , Alabama , there 's a 40 % chance of snow .

Further north , Washington probably wo n't see snow , but its residents will feel the cold . Temps will drop to 7 degrees Monday night , with the wind chill telling you it 's colder -- as in 8 degrees below zero . Tuesday will warm up only a little .

`` Welcome to my world , '' the Midwest and Great Plains will say .

Much of the northern Plains , Midwest and Northeast will likely shiver through daytime high temperatures 10 to 30 degrees below normal through Wednesday , the National Weather Service said .

Chicago saw a high temperature of 4 below zero Fahrenheit on Monday and is looking at a comparatively balmy 3 above on Tuesday -- though with wind chill values of around minus-30 degrees .

In Wisconsin , the state department of transportation urged people to avoid driving if possible . If they must drive , they should carry a fully charged cell phone , have at least half a tank of gasoline and tell somebody where they 're going .

In Milwaukee , two motorists seconded that advice .

`` It 's going to be pure ice . It 's all fluffy and light snow like this and it 's going to melt down â $ '' going to be a mess , '' Gary Lukowitz told CNN affiliate WITI .

`` Even though you see the streets are plowed and it 's still slippery out there â $ '' still a lot of wet snow on the ground , still freezing and cars are still slipping around , '' Adam Bernstein said .

And authorities in Minnesota are advising no travel in the southern and western parts of the state , where several roads are closed .

In South Dakota , officials said white-out conditions with zero to near zero visibility , icy roads and blowing and drifting snow are making safe travel almost impossible along the I-29 corridor and throughout most of the northeast and eastern part of the state .

They have closed Interstate 29 from the I-90 junction at Sioux Falls to Brookings because of blizzard conditions . I-29 was also closed from the South Dakota border to Canada in North Dakota .

Whiteout conditions could also be found in Hazleton , Iowa , said CNN iReporter Danny Murphy . He shot a video of the very white weather .

`` Rural areas around here are suffering from near whiteout and blizzard conditions causing for very hazardous travel , '' he said .

CNN 's Chad Myers , Sean Morris , Dave Hennen , Martin Savidge and Jareen Imam contributed to this report .

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NEW : `` This town is shutting down tomorrow , '' New Orleans cab driver says

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NEW : `` Limbs will break . Trees will fall . Power will be out , '' Mississippi official warns

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NEW : Deep freeze follows temperate Monday across much of Southeast

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Welcome to our world , frigid Midwest says